III
"Well!" sighed Mrs. Prohack, with the maximum of expressiveness,glancing at her daughter as one woman of the world at another. They werelingering, as it were convalescent after the severe attack and defeat,in the foyer of the hotel.
"Well!" sighed Sissie, flattered by the glance, and firmly taking herplace in the fabric of society. "Well, father, we always knew you hadsome queer friends, but really these were the limit! And theextravagance of the thing! That luncheon must have cost at least twentypounds,--and I do believe he had special flowers, too. When I think ofthe waste of money and time that goes on daily in places like these, Iwonder there's any England left. It ought to be stopped by law."
"My child," said Mr. Prohack. "I observe with approbation that you arebeginning to sit up and take notice. Centuries already divide you fromthe innocent creature who used to devote her days and nights to theteaching of dancing to persons who had no conception of the seriousnessof life. I agree with your general criticism, but let us remember thatall this wickedness does not date from the day before yesterday. It'sbeen flourishing for some thousands of years, and all prophecies aboutit being over-taken by Nemesis have proved false. Still, I'm glad you'veturned over a new leaf."
Sissie discreetly but unmistakably tossed her young head.
"Oswald, dearest," said she. "It's time you were off."
"It is," Ozzie agreed, and off he went, to resume the serious strugglefor existence,--he who until quite recently had followed the greattheatrical convention that though space may be a reality, time is not.
"I don't mind the extravagance, because after all it's good for trade,"said Eve. "What I--"
"Mother darling!" Sissie protested. "Where do you get theseextraordinary ideas from about luxury being good for trade? Surely youought to know--"
"I daresay I ought to know all sorts of things I don't know," said Evewith dignity. "But there's one thing I do know, and that is that thestyle of those two dreadful people was absolutely the worst I've evermet. The way that woman gabbled--and all about herself; and what anaccent, and the way she held her fork!"
"Lady," said Mr. Prohack. "Don't be angry because she beat you."
"Beat me!"
"Yes. Beat you. Both of you. You talked her to a standstill at first;but you couldn't keep it up. Then she began and she talked you to astandstill, and she could keep it up. She left you for all practicalpurposes dead on the field, my tigresses. And I'm very sorry for her,"he added.
"Dad," said Sissie sternly. "Why do you always try to be so clever withus? You know as well as we do that she's a _creature_, and that there'snothing to be said for her at all."
"Nothing to be said for her!" Mr. Prohack smiled tolerantly. "Why shewas the star of the universe for Silas Angmering, the founder of ourfortunes. She was the finest woman he'd ever met. And Angmering was aclever fellow, let me tell you. You call her a creature. Yes, thecreature of destiny, like all of us, except of course you. I beg toinform you that Miss Fancy went out of this hotel a victim, anunconscious victim, but a victim. She is going to be exploited. Mr.Softly Bishop, my co-heir, will run her for all she is worth. He willmake a lot of money out of her. He will make her work as she has neverworked before. He will put a value on all her talents, for his own ends.And he will deprive her of most of her accustomed pleasures. In fifteenyears there'll be nothing left of Miss Fancy except an exhausted wreckwith a spurious reputation, but Mr. Softly Bishop will still be in hisprime and in the full enjoyment of life, and he will spend on himselfthe riches that she has made for him and allow her about sixpence aweek; and the most tragic and terrible thing of all is that she willthink she owes everything to him! No! If I was capable of weeping, Ishould have wept at the pathos of the spectacle of Miss Fancy as sheleft us just now unconscious of her fate and revelling in the mostabsurd illusions. That poor defenceless woman, who has had themisfortune not to please you, is heading straight for a life-longmartyrdom." Mr. Prohack ceased impressively.
"And serve her right!" said Eve. "I've met cats in my time, but--" AndEve also ceased.
"And I am not sure," added Mr. Prohack, still impressively. "And I amnot sure that the ingenuous and excellent Oswald Morfey is not headingstraight in the same direction." And he gazed at his adored daughter,who exhibited a faint flush, and then laughed lightly. "Yes," said Mr.Prohack, "you are very smart, my girl. If you had shown violence youwould have made a sad mistake. That you should laugh with such abrilliant imitation of naturalness gives me hopes of you. Let us seekCarthew and the car. Mr. Bishop's luncheon, though I admit it wasexceedingly painful, has, I trust, not been without its useful lessonsto us, and I do not regret it. For myself I admit it has taught me thateven the finest and most agreeable women, such as those with whom I havebeen careful to sourround myself in my domestic existence, are monstersof cruelty. Not that I care."
"I've arranged with mamma that you shall come to dinner to-night," saidSissie. "No formality, please."
"Mayn't your mother wear her pearls?" asked Mr. Prohack.
"I hope you noticed, Arthur," said Eve with triumphant satisfaction,"how your Miss Fancy was careful to keep off the subject of jewels."
"Mother's pearls," said Sissie primly, "are mother's affair."
Mr. Prohack did not feel at all happy.
"And yet," he asked himself. "What have I done? I am perfectlyinnocent."